Off to a Good Start
by t3ars0fglass
Summary: Prequel to Moving On. A look at the early years of Lin and Taio's life together. Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Korra, or Avatar the Last Airbender.


She was late, oh how she was so late. Lin rushed in the building. She hated being late for a date. She would've made it on time, but since Taio told her they were going to an extravagant restaurant, she had to go and buy a dress. Taio was sitting alone at a table by the dance floor when she saw him. "Taio! Sorry I'm so late. I didn't mean to keep you waiting! Sorry." She sat down. "So why are we at such a fancy place today?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Well... Uhhhh... I thought we could... Well I thought we could just go somewhere fancy for once!" He stammered. 'Shoot I just blew it!' He thought to himself.

"Taio, it's okay. You don't need to explain; it's fine. So, you just wanted to go here?"

"Yea. Um, that's exactly why."

"Are you nervous Taio?" Lin smirked. He was sweating, and tapping his foot, and glancing around. It was kind of cute.

"I am not nervous at all!" The Metalbender retorted.

"Okay." she laughed at him. "Liar! Mister Nervy-Pants." She teased while chuckling.

"Lin, don't call me that!" He blushed at the comment.

The waiter came by with the trays of food, and they quickly finished dinner. 'Well it's now or never' Taio thought. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a green, silk-strapped necklace with a flat, brown gemstone. Carved into it, were the symbols of Earth, following each other in a circle. It was meant to represent the two joining together as one, in marriage. "Lin," He started. "I really love you. I want to be with you forever. I-I don't think I could live without you. W-Will you, Lin Bei Fong, marry me?" He looked at her face. Her eyes were wide open and her mouth was agape. 'Maybe this was a bad idea.' He was about to apologize when she answered.

"Yes." Lin couldn't even believe that was her voice. Taio didn't know what he had just heard; it was so soft he could barely believe he had heard it right.

"What did you say?" He whispered back to her.

"I said yes!" Taio was so overjoyed that he picked Lin up and spun her around.

"I love you Lin."

"I love you too." His lips crashed onto hers, and for a few seconds, it seemed as though they were the only to people in the restaurant. When Taio pulled away and put her down, Lin saw that people were staring at them. She felt a little embarrassed when the crowd broke out into a fit of applause, but she was too happy to care.

"May I walk my fiancé home?" he joked.

"No, you have to go to work tomorrow." Lin answered, trying to be serious.

"What about you. Don't you have work tomorrow too?"

"My shift doesn't start until dark tomorrow. You'll still see me." Taio pouted, he decided he was just going to have to annoy her then.

"May I please walk you home? Please, please, please, please, please, please, plea-"

"Alright! Fine." He took Lin's hand and started walking her to her house. Lin leaned in his arm, so he held her tighter. They were soon at her home. "Well were here. Goodnight Taio." She gave him a very chaste kiss on the lips. She was started up to the door.

"Wait! I want to say hi to your mom, and then tell here were getting married." Lin sighed and nodded before leading him into her apartment. Toph was sitting on the couch, a knowing smirk on her face.

"Hey, so I heard you wanted to tell me something?"

"Mom, Taio has asked me to marry him." Lin smiled. Toph stood up and walked to her daughter and Taio. He was obviously nervous about her reaction. Toph smiled and smacked Taio on the back of the head. "Well it's about time you asked her. You've been nervous all month kid!"

"You've been planning this for a month?" Lin didn't know he'd been thinking about this so much.

"Yeah... I was afraid you'd reject me."

"So, did you give her a betrothal necklace?" In all that happened, they had forgotten about it. Lin reached up and touched her neck.

"It's beautiful Taio." It was really beautiful, and she was happy that Taio loved her so much.

"Well I think I should go it's getting late. Bye Lin." He kissed her on the cheek and left.

When Lin woke up in the morning, Toph was still home, getting ready to leave for work. "Morning mother. I think I drank too much last night."

"Why?"

"Because, I actually had a dream where Taio _proposed_ to me." She exclaimed.

"Actually, that wasn't a dream, and you were completely sober when you came home. The station called, I gotta go!" Toph left. Lin looked at her neck and saw the beautiful betrothal necklace. She got up and ran to the phone and dialed Suhn's number. Suhn was her best friend. They met after Tenzin had broken up with her, and Suhn had pulled her through the breakup. She was the reason Lin was strong enough to go out with Taio in the first place.

"Hello? This is Suhn."

"Taio proposed last night." Suhn had realized it was Lin the second she mentioned Taio.

"I'm on my way over." In the back ground, Lin heard the faint crying of Kenji, Suhn's newborn son. She hung up the phone and started upstairs to get dressed.

Suhn was at her house in no time. "We're here!" Her husband shouted.

Lin turned around and saw Suhn, Kai, and their son Kenji. "Taio asked me to marry him last night." She repeated.

"You said yes, right?" Suhn was happy for her friend but it really depended on if Lin said yes.

"I said yes." She assured her friend.

"Did he make that betrothal necklace for you?" Kai asked her.

"Yea." She reached up and played with it for a second.

"Congratulations Lin!"

* * *

ONE MONTH LATER

Suhn and Kya were doing Lin's makeup, while Katara was making her hair. While Toph just sat there complaining about why she had to wear a dress too. "Toph maybe you should check on the guys."

"Whatever Sweetness." Toph walked out to check on Aang and Sokka when she heard them talking.  
"Taio you don't need to be so nervous." Aang tried to calm the boy down.

"Yea, your just marrying Linny. But, if you do break her heart like Ten did, then she'll just kill you." Bumi joked.

"I would never hurt Lin. She is the most beautiful, perfect, amazing person in the world!" Toph walked up to Taio.

"Hey if you hurt my daughter I will break all the bones in your body without hesitation."

"Y-Yes Ch-Chief." Taio gulped nervously. Toph laughed at him.

"I was just joking. And you can call me Toph. But, I'm serious when I say that, if you hurt Lin, I'll break you boy." She smiled at Taio, who nervously chuckled and nodded.

"Lin you look beautiful!" Suhn and Kya complemented her. Lin's hair was in long waves and ended at the small of her back. Her bangs were curled out of her face, and the upper portion of her hair was pinned back. Where the pins were, white flower were tucked away so that it framed her face beautifully. Her dress was an emerald green, made out of silk. It hugged her body perfectly; the long sleeves stopped right at her shoulder blade, and the back of the dress dipped down to right under where her hair stopped. There were some emeralds that lined the dip of the dress on her chest. It sparkled as it flowed to the ground, and the small train dragged behind her. Suhn had put some brownish eye shadow to accent the green in her eye, and Lin's lips and cheeks were a rosy pink. She looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but to think a year and a half ago everyone would've expected her to be with Tenzin today while she walked down the isle. She pushed those thoughts away, thought. It was her wedding day, with Taio, and she should be happy.

Soon enough it was time for the wedding. Sokka walked Lin up the isle and to the alter since he was like a father figure to her. All of Lin and Taio's friends were there, some officers, their family, and some press. They didn't take pictures though. They didn't want to anger Toph. Taio's eyes widened and his heart rate quickened when he saw Lin. She looked beautiful. In a few seconds Lin was standing across from Taio. The minister began to speak.

"Do you, Taio, take Lin Bei Fong to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, till death do you part, so help you Spirits?"

"I do." Taio smiled as he picked Lin's hands and held them in his own.

"And do you, Lin Bei Fong, take Taio to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sick-"

"I do." Lin rushed. She didn't mean to, but she was so nervous, she just wanted to get the eyes of the audience off of her. People chuckled at her response. On a different day she would've earth bended them out of the building. She didn't though because it was her wedding and she didn't want to mess everything up.

"You may now kiss the bride." Taio's arm wrapped around her waist while she held the back of his neck. It didn't take long for the crowd to cheer as they kissed each other passionately.

At the reception, they called for the brides first dance with her father, but since Lin didn't have one, she danced with Sokka. He told her how beautiful she was and grown up as his eyes watered. She punched him lightly on the shoulder. Taio tapped Sokka on the arm. "May I?" Sokka took Lin's hand and placed it in Taio's as he led her out to the dance floor.

"You look stunning Lin. I love you." He kissed her once more.

"I love you too, Taio."


End file.
